Checkout is the most expensive place to lose a customer. By the time someone enters their address, you have already paid to attract them, persuaded them on a product page and convinced them to add to cart. Any friction now throws that investment away.
Baymard Institute’s compilation of 50 studies puts the average documented online cart abandonment rate at 70.22%. Not all of that is fixable, since many people are just browsing, but Baymard’s research also estimates that large ecommerce sites could gain a 35.26% increase in conversion rate through better checkout design alone.
This guide focuses on the checkout flow itself: why shoppers abandon it, the design and technical fixes that matter most, how to audit your checkout step by step, and how to measure improvement. (For the bigger picture on abandonment and recovery, see our guides to cart abandonment rate and abandoned cart emails.)
Key Takeaways
- Unexpected extra costs are the top checkout abandonment reason in Baymard’s survey, so show full costs early.
- Make guest checkout the default and offer account creation after the order.
- Cut form fields: Baymard says most sites need only around 8 fields in total.
- Use correct HTML autocomplete attributes and input types so browsers can autofill details.
- Measure drop-off at each checkout step in GA4 and fix the biggest leak first.
Why Shoppers Abandon Checkout
Baymard regularly surveys US online shoppers about why they abandoned an order during checkout. Excluding people who were “just browsing”, the top reasons point straight at fixable problems.
| Abandonment reason (Baymard survey) | Share of abandoners | Checkout fix |
|---|---|---|
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% | Show shipping and taxes early; consider a free shipping threshold |
| Delivery was too slow | 20% | Show delivery dates and faster options |
| Didn’t trust the site with card details | 19% | Trusted payment brands, security cues, professional design |
| Site wanted me to create an account | 18% | Guest checkout by default |
| Too long or complicated checkout | 17% | Fewer fields, clear steps, autofill |
| Website errors or crashes | 17% | QA testing, error monitoring, speed fixes |
| Return policy wasn’t satisfactory | 13% | Clear, visible return policy |
| Couldn’t see total cost up front | 12% | Order total visible from the cart |
| Credit card was declined | 10% | Clear error messages; alternative payment methods |
| Not enough payment methods | 9% | Wallets, buy-now-pay-later, local methods |
Shoppers could choose multiple reasons, so the percentages add up to more than 100%. The pattern is still clear: surprise costs, forced accounts, long forms and doubts about trust drive most avoidable abandonment.
Checkout Optimization Best Practices
1. Make guest checkout the default
Forcing account creation adds fields and decisions at the worst possible moment. Google’s web.dev guidance puts it simply:
“For an online store, the simplest way to reduce form friction is to make guest checkout the default.”
— web.dev (Google), Payment and address form best practices
Baymard recommends offering account creation on the confirmation step instead, where the customer has already entered their details and only needs to add a password. It is also worth telling shoppers early that they can save their details after ordering.
2. Cut and simplify form fields
Baymard’s benchmark found the average checkout had 11.3 form fields in 2024, while most sites need only 8. Its research also concluded that the number of fields matters more to usability than the number of steps. Practical cuts include:
- Use a single “Full name” field rather than separate first and last name fields where your systems allow it.
- Hide optional fields such as company name or address line 2 behind a link.
- Default the billing address to the shipping address.
- Use address lookup or autocomplete to reduce typing.
- Remove fields you never use, such as phone number when you do not call customers (or explain why it is needed).
3. Support browser autofill properly
Correct autocomplete attributes let browsers and password managers fill names, addresses and card details securely. Use type="email" and type="tel" for the right mobile keyboards, and inputmode="numeric" for card numbers. For example:
<input type="text" name="name" autocomplete="name">
<input type="email" name="email" autocomplete="email">
<input type="text" name="postal" autocomplete="postal-code">
<input type="text" inputmode="numeric" autocomplete="cc-number">4. Show the full cost early
Display estimated shipping and taxes in the cart, not as a surprise on the final step. If you offer free shipping above a threshold, show progress toward it. Make delivery dates concrete (“Arrives Thursday”) rather than vague.
5. Offer the payment methods your customers expect
Digital wallets reduce typing on mobile, and some audiences expect buy-now-pay-later or local methods. Show accepted payment logos early. When a card is declined, explain why in plain language and keep the entered data.
6. Build trust at the point of payment
Use a consistent design between the store and checkout, recognisable payment provider branding, visible contact details and a short summary of your returns policy. Clear microcopy next to fields (“We only use your phone number for delivery updates”) answers doubts before they become exits.
7. Keep it fast and error-free
Every extra script on checkout pages is a risk. Audit third-party scripts, monitor JavaScript errors, and test the full flow on real mobile devices. Our page speed optimization service focuses on exactly this kind of performance work.
How to Audit Your Checkout Step by Step
- Map every step. Cart, contact details, shipping, payment, review and confirmation. Note each field, button and message.
- Measure drop-off by step. Use GA4’s purchase journey or a funnel exploration built on
begin_checkout,add_shipping_info,add_payment_infoandpurchaseevents. Our GA4 ecommerce tracking guide explains the setup. - Find the biggest leak. Semrush’s ecommerce optimization guide makes the same point: identify the step with the biggest drop-off before redesigning anything.
- Watch real sessions. Session recordings in tools like Microsoft Clarity reveal rage clicks, form errors and confusing steps.
- Check every device and payment method. Complete test orders on iOS and Android, with wallets, cards and discount codes.
- Prioritise fixes. Rank issues by impact and effort; quick wins often include removing fields and showing costs earlier.
- Test changes. A/B test larger changes, and monitor conversion rate and average order value after each release.
Checkout Optimization Checklist
| Area | Check | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Guest checkout is the default; account creation offered after purchase | ☐ |
| Forms | Only essential fields; optional fields collapsed | ☐ |
| Autofill | Correct autocomplete values and input types | ☐ |
| Costs | Shipping, taxes and fees visible in cart | ☐ |
| Delivery | Specific delivery dates shown | ☐ |
| Payments | Wallets and preferred local methods available | ☐ |
| Errors | Inline validation with clear, polite messages; data kept on error | ☐ |
| Trust | Return policy summary and contact options visible | ☐ |
| Speed | Checkout pages load quickly on mobile; scripts audited | ☐ |
| Tracking | Checkout funnel events firing correctly in GA4 | ☐ |
Common Checkout Optimization Mistakes
- Redesigning before measuring. Without step-level data you may fix the wrong problem.
- Adding upsells that block checkout. Offers belong earlier or after purchase; see upselling and cross-selling for placement.
- Clearing the form on error. Making shoppers retype everything is a fast route to abandonment.
- Leaving promo code fields too prominent. A big empty coupon box can send shoppers off to search for codes.
- Testing on desktop only. Most checkout friction shows up on small screens and mobile keyboards.
Related Guides
- Product Videos: Types That Boost Ecommerce Conversions
- Upselling and Cross-Selling in Ecommerce: Tactics That Work
- Ecommerce Personalization: Show Every Shopper the Right Products
Frequently Asked Questions
What is checkout optimization?
It is the process of improving the checkout flow so more shoppers who start checkout complete their order, by reducing friction, building trust and fixing technical issues.
Is one-page checkout better than multi-step?
Not automatically. Baymard’s research found the number of form fields affects usability more than the number of steps. Focus on fewer fields and clear progress.
How many form fields should checkout have?
Baymard reports that most sites need only around 8 form fields in total, compared with an average of 11.3 in its 2024 benchmark.
Should I force customers to create an account?
No. Make guest checkout the default and offer account creation on the confirmation step, where it only requires a password.
How do I find where shoppers drop off in checkout?
Track checkout events in GA4 (begin_checkout, add_shipping_info, add_payment_info, purchase) and build a funnel exploration to see the drop-off rate at each step.
Conclusion
Checkout optimization is rarely about one big redesign. It is a series of small, measured fixes: fewer fields, earlier cost visibility, guest checkout, better autofill and trusted payment options. Measure each step, fix the biggest leak first, and keep testing.
Want an expert review of your checkout? Our conversion optimization services include full checkout audits. Request a free quote.
